Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The Tuesday that Feels Like a Monday

In the spirit of easing into the week, I'm having a catch-up pajama day over here. I just wrote an article to send to one of my all-time favorite magazines, and I hope they'll want to print it. Fingers crossed.

I've also been thinking about beauty products.

Back when I was spending my parents' money, I had expensive tastes in hair care and makeup. Clinique, Estee Lauder, and of course super-sized cans of Paul Mitchell hair spray cluttered my countertop. No "bonus gift" or "gift with purchase" passed me by, even if the colors were all wrong for me. But back in the 80's, sometimes the colors were so wrong they were right, you know?

It was as I got older (poorer, cheaper, thriftier) that I made the move to CoverGirl, Maybelline, and the occasional Wet'n'Wild product.

Well, at thirteen, thanks to Youtube videos and Pinterest, Margaret makes my previous champagne tastes seem more like Milwaukee's Best. She is familiar with every high-end product at Sephora and is skilled at using them. The good news is, she is introducing me to a few new products and helping me figure out how to keep my sparse yet unruly brows "on point" as they say these days. She also managed to help me look like I'd had a full night's sleep by dotting white eye shadow on the inner corner of my eyes. Who knew?

The bad news is, I am not comfortable supporting a $50 a pop toiletry habit, even though the desire for "bonus gifts" was passed down from my genes to hers.

Her desire for more products/more money led to a little mother-daughter furniture painting adventure, taking this sad little nightstand with its cheap plastic knob:

 To this shabby chic charmer.



Selling it on our local yard sale site means Margaret pockets $25.

Which I think translates to about 1/2 a high-end mascara and hopefully more mother-daughter enterprises like this one!

15 comments:

Suburban Correspondent said...

Garnier makes awesome and cheap hair products! The makeup - I still can't figure that out.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

The nightstand came out really nice! I love Sephora and I love trying new products. I am trying to wind down to my all time favorites. Sephora and Origins online often have great specials and freebies which I love.

Juli Schuster said...

Beautiful! What kind of paint are you using?

ScrappinLita said...

My "sparse and unruly brows" could use Margaret's expertise.

What a fun way for her to earn some money. You guys rock!

Gigi said...

Very cute! Yes, I have a feeling there will be more mother/daughter projects that will line her pockets!

Jess said...

Ohh I want that nightstand!!! Wish I were in your area. Sounds like a fun project (and makeup addiction) for you to take on together! :) My mom and I love doing "projects" together as well.

Anonymous said...

Gosh--this takes me down memory lane. My mom used to get "kits"--department store make-up sets that had rainbows of awesome eyeshadows and blushes and lip colors. I adored playing around with her kits and as a result wore altogether too much makeup back in the eighties. I just wear mascara these days and hopefully look far better, but man those kits were fun.

Good luck keeping M's habit funded! The nightstand looks cute!

love,
jbhat

Anna Whiston-Donaldson said...

juli- This was done w/ Annie Sloan chalk paint. I also use Ce Ce Caldwell's paint. xo

Ellen aka Ellie said...

For a buck at Target, you can buy ELF highlighting cream and do your own little white dots at your inner eye.

That's a trick I've been using for a while.

Cassie Bustamante said...

HAHA! i used to buy the same things as you.... oh man! i am in for it when emmy is older. better get her painting now. and the nighstand is adorable! hope margaret thinks her work is worth half a tube of high end lip gloss.

Anonymous said...

He he, my 21 year old daughter uses 'on point' about her eyebrows. :)

And I am convinced, at 44, I will never figure out makeup. I'm a lost cause, but I never stop trying!

Princess Kate said...

It is all about the togetherness. Sounds like fun with Margret while you create something beautiful. Makeup, I have no idea. Always been just a lipstick girl.

Alison said...

My mother used to buy me Estee Lauder and Clinique products! I use Caudalie, and they're brilliant.

I love that Margaret is earning her own beauty product pocket money :)

Unknown said...

Well how about that! What a great venture. Unfortunately, my daughter will not be learning thriftiness with me.

Anonymous said...

What does she recommend for eyebrows? 50 here and just recently,started dong stuff to mine.